Traditional vehicle braking systems employ a fluid-filled master cylinder and one or more brakes with slave cylinders. Fluid lines connect the master cylinder to the slave cylinders. When a driver presses on the brake pedal, a piston in the master cylinder forces brake fluid through the fluid lines to the slave cylinders, thereby causing the brakes to provide braking force against a disc or drum. Many known vehicles also include a parking brake (sometimes referred to as an emergency brake) that may be activated by a hand lever or foot pedal. The parking brake is typically connected via a brake cable directly to the brakes (or just to the rear brakes). Pulling the hand lever or pressing the foot pedal pulls the cable to cause the brake operatively coupled to the hand lever to provide braking force. In other words, parking brakes are typically a completely mechanical system that bypasses the master cylinder and other components of a hydraulic braking system.